Scent-sations: how science can help you make the most of your fragrance collection

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The fragrance industry has had a global boom in recent years, and some experts have linked this to the COVID-19 pandemic; people are turning to perfume for "comfort, sensorial stimulation, emotional connection and a way to define your mood" (1). The world of fragrance is exciting, but it’s hard to know where to start since today’s perfumes are more diverse than ever. Luckily, the science behind scent won’t change, and we can use it to find our favourite fragrances. In this blog post, we’ll explore the structure of a fragrance, the science behind longevity, and how to choose new perfumes.

What are perfumes made of?

Perfumes are a mixture of fragrance molecules in the form of oil diluted in a solvent, typically ethanol. Typical fragrance types include eau de toilette, eau de parfum and parfum, with each containing a progressively higher concentration of fragrance molecules in that order.  Each fragrance molecule has its own properties, and these determine its evaporation into the air and its longevity on the skin. The more volatile these molecules are the faster they evaporate, and the faster they reach our noses. Perfumes have multiple layers, and these are classified into top/head, middle/heart and base notes. Top/head notes are the most volatile layer; they are noticed quickly and last less. In contrast, base notes are the least volatile, so they are picked up later and last longer. Fragrance families such as woody notes or spices are typically unique (but not limited) to one of these layers:

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How can the skin affect a perfume?

The skin is the largest organ in the human body, and it is a “constantly evolving and renewing” living tissue (2). The behaviour of a perfume on the skin varies widely across people, but some key elements come into play when it comes to skin and scent (3):

• Sebum – our skin naturally produces sebum, an oily substance containing fats such as cholesterol. Sebum protects our skin from friction, moisture loss, and microbes (4). The production of sebum can vary with variables such as the season and a person’s age, but people with oily skin generally produce more of this substance. It is possible that the components of sebum can absorb fragrance ingredients that favour fats (i.e. lipophilic), resulting in those ingredients lasting longer on oily skin. Essential oils are particularly lipophilic, so spotting these ingredients on a fragrance bottle can imply good longevity.

• Temperature – fragrance volatility comes into effect here because it increases alongside the skin’s temperature. The warmer the skin is, the faster the fragrance molecules evaporate and become noticeable.

• Individual odour – since the skin has so much biological activity with enzymes, proteins, bacteria and more, it is no surprise that it naturally has its own odour! This can also be influenced by diet, hygiene and health. As a result, one perfume may smell considerably different on other people because their personal odour has a unique interaction with the fragrance. 

How can the environment affect a perfume?

Although it is difficult to control our environment, it can help us to predict how a fragrance could perform. As mentioned before, the evaporation rate of perfumes can be affected by temperature, but humidity and wind velocity can also have an impact (5). Warm weather and humidity make top/head notes project stronger but they also cause them to fade faster. Inversely, cold temperatures “suppress” the intensity of a scent, making it less perceptible (6). Wind can make a scent spread further, but this comes with the cost of it dissipating quickly (5).

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What can we do to optimise a scent?

With all of this in mind, we can use science to boost our perfume’s impact:

• Apply the fragrance to your pulse points – you may often see people recommend application to the inside of the wrists and the neck, and there is actually an interesting theory behind this: these pulse points emit heat, consequently aiding in the diffusion of the fragrance molecules and making them more noticeable to others.

• Keep your skin moisturised – occlusive lotions or balms can help to “trap” the perfume to the skin and slow down dissipation. Applying products like Vaseline to the pulse points before spraying may also significantly enhance your perfume’s longevity!

• Store your perfumes in dark places – this is quite a well-known tip, but the reason we are advised to keep fragrances in cool dark areas is to protect their chemical structure from ultraviolet light (7). This ensures your perfumes maintain their original composition and, as a result, their scent profile stays stronger for longer.

What are some good strategies to try perfumes?

Seeing the wide range of fragrances in a perfume store or even online can be overwhelming, and it’s frustrating to buy a full bottle of a scent that you soon realise is not your taste! Here are some tips to pick out perfumes that will last in your collection:

• Try out the fragrance in fresh air – spray/dab a drop of the scent on your wrist and step outside of the shop. The fragrance can smell vastly different once surrounded by the natural environment, and testing it outside removes it from the other fragrances in the air in a store.

• Buy travel size bottles or samples – travel size perfumes will give you enough time to try a scent in different environments or seasons without breaking the bank over full-sized bottles! Websites such as www.luckyscent.com and www.fragrancesamplesuk.com are also great marketplaces for small sample bottles.

• Find the notes or note families that you enjoy the most - once you identify the type of notes that are the most appealing to you, it can become a lot easier to find new scents based on their description. This can also help you to discover what kind of perfume “personalities” suit you the most, such as light fun perfumes with fruits or florals, or dark mysterious scents with spices and oud notes. www.fragrantica.com is a very useful forum as it details the notes of almost any fragrance you can think of.

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The layers of a perfume are the main determinants of its longevity and projection. Nevertheless, our skin can influence the perception and lasting power of a scent. Taking advantage of body temperature and skin hydration can help to improve the performance of a fragrance. The climate and our surroundings can also alter our perception of a fragrance, meaning it is especially important to try out a fragrance in different environments. There is a lot to learn about perfume, but it can also teach you a lot about expressing your personality in a distinctive way. I hope this encourages you to start your fragrance discovery journey!

By Vanessa Ankude, Blog Writer

References

1.       Spruch-Feiner S. The fragrance boom is nowhere near over. Glossy. 2024.

2.       Eudier F et al. Skin surface physico-chemistry: characteristics, methods of measurement, influencing factors and future developments. . Adv Colloid Interface Sci. 2019;264:11-27.

3.       Schwarzenbach R and Bertschi L. Models to assess perfume diffusion from skin. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2001;23(2):85-98.

4.       Cleveland Clinic. Sebaceous glands 2022 [Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24538-sebaceous-glands.

5.       Almeida R et al. Evaporation and permeation of fragrance applied to the skin. Ind Eng Chem Res. 2019;58(22):9644-9650.

6.       Ahmed Al Maghribi Perfumes. The impact of climate on how your perfume smells and lasts. 2024 [Available from: https://www.ahmedalmaghribi.co.in/the-impact-of-climate-on-how-your-perfume-smells-and-lasts/.

7.       Memo Paris. The sanctuary of your scent: ideal fragrance storage practices  [cited 2025 May 10]. Available from: https://uk.memoparis.com/pages/preserving-your-perfume.